Carl to Ruthie, Jan. 21, 1954

“I’m very anxious to hear all the things you won’t write but instead want to tell me.”

This is another sweet letter from Carl to Ruthie during their courtship. Dad is at K-State, and Mom is teaching school near Russell.

It is remarkable how often people of the 1950s wrote and received letters compared with today. It seems Carl and Ruth were way above the trend even for that time, with daily letters delivered, read, and re-read.

In the 1950s, AI agent Claude tells me the average American household received one to two pieces of mail daily, and letter writing was common for personal correspondence.

Phone conversations surged in importance by the 1960s and beyond, eroding the prominence of written correspondence.

By 2025, first-class mail volume will have fallen by over 40% since its peak in 2001, according to AI agent Claude. Email, text messaging, and social media have largely replaced letter writing.

I am so thankful we have letters from Carl and Ruth to remember them by, except for all the endearing things they told each other only in person.

.